Russian Communal Villages and their History

The communal village system of Russia has existed for centuries and, despite modern day influences, remains an important part of the Russian culture and identity. Have you ever wondered about their history and broader significance? Read on to find out more about Russia’s communal villages and their history.

The characteristic Russian commune is known as a mir, which means “peace” in Russian. Though the concept of a communal village was around long before the fall of the Romanov dynasty, czar Peter the Great formalized mir’s in the late 17th century. Peter the Great believed that the communal villages were much more unifying and less expensive than royal landownership, so he set in motion the concept of the mir.

A mir was composed of a number of peasant families who each held a piece of the single village’s land and worked collaboratively to cultivate their crops and maintain the village. Most people in a mir may have had a common spelling of their last name, such as Bogdanov or Nazarov, and were typically of the same social class. The combination of this distinct social unity and the efforts of community work served as a foundation for the mir.

In addition to community-led land cultivation, the peasants of the mir were also responsible for the gathering of wood, the harvesting of hay, and the repair and construction of the village’s buildings and infrastructure. All activities were done collectively in a form of mutual aid; with no individual allowed to prioritize their own work before unwilling work began.

The peasants in a mir could also elect a representative amongst their village who could govern the affairs of the village spiritually, culturally, and economically. This elected representative was not just responsible for the village’s upkeep, but also had to take measures to ensure the collective welfare of the peasants.
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These communal villages were not only an important piece of Russia’s geography and history, but also a part of its folklore and creative culture. Before the Soviet era, Miric art was one of the most prevalent types of expression — ranging from large murals, to sculptures, to wood carvings, to fine printmaking.

Though the basis of mirs in communal villages has weathered the test of time and imperialism, the Russian Communist Revolution in 1917 proved to be a major turning point in the history of the mirs, which were demoted to collective farms. These farms were funded by the government and naturally led to a major shift in power among the peasants.

In the late 1980’s, with the fall of the Soviet Union came an interesting shift for Russia’s communal villages, in which the concept of the mir was revived in the form of Collectives. These collectives consisted of peasants and between the ages of 18 and 30, who lived together on a piece of the commune’s land and worked together to maintain and advance the village.

Today, most of the original mirs still stand as a testament to centuries of Russian culture and influence — albeit in much different form than the original mirs, as the land is now monetarily controlled by the Soviet state.
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Although the mirs of Russia may no longer exist like they once did in the 19th century, their impact and influence has been felt in many aspects of modern Russian culture. They are still a part of everyday conversations, as well as a symbol of the perseverance and strength of the Russian people.